


Keeping Out of Trouble

by Jui_Imouto_Chan



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Adoption, Adoptive family, Alternate Universe - No Basketball, Arguing, Bullying, Childhood Friends, Cinderella-esque search, Disciplinary Committee Seirin Team, Dwelling on the past, Everyone is at the same school, Everyone/Kuroko is fun, Gen, Kuroko has Abandonment Issues, Library Committee, M/M, Misunderstandings(?), Multi, Not all Pairings yet listed, Ogiwara is a little dumb but its okay we love him, Orphanage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Issues, Protective Kagami Taiga, Reunions, Rich Seirin, Scheming, School Contests, School trips, Seirin Academy, Sibling Bonding, Step Brothers, Student Council GOM, adoptive brothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24534409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jui_Imouto_Chan/pseuds/Jui_Imouto_Chan
Summary: Entering high school, Kuroko hoped for a low-profile experience with a small group of friends and his new adoptive family. Unfortunately for him, he's forced to face the history he has with the Student Council of Seirin Academy while he's also being searched for by students who don't know what he looks like nor who he is. Maybe it would've been better to let Kagami punch all of Kuroko's problems away for him.
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Kuroko Tetsuya, Aomine Daiki/Kuroko Tetsuya, Generation of Miracles/Kuroko Tetsuya, Hanamiya Makoto/Kuroko Tetsuya, Hyuuga Junpei & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kagami Taiga/Kuroko Tetsuya, Kise Ryouta/Kuroko Tetsuya, Kiyoshi Teppei & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kuroko Tetsuya & Momoi Satsuki, Kuroko Tetsuya/Everyone, Kuroko Tetsuya/Mayuzumi Chihiro, Kuroko Tetsuya/Midorima Shintarou, Kuroko Tetsuya/Murasakibara Atsushi, Kuroko Tetsuya/Ogiwara Shigehiro, Kuroko Tetsuya/Takao Kazunari
Comments: 51
Kudos: 313





	1. Chapter One: “I face the day with me head caved in,"

**Author's Note:**

> "--looking like something that the cat brought in.”  
> \- 'Invisible Sun', The Police  
> I have finally arrived to the KnB fandom! I'm sorry to all of you.  
> This was beta-read by my best friend Jadyn, since nobody accepted my requests for betas ;~; If anyone is interested, feel free to tell me so in the comments below or message me on my tumblr (Jui-Imouto-Chan) or discord (Jui-Imouto-Chan#6939).

Shadows had always been pitiful, in his eyes. In the absence of light, they were nonexistent, and yet, when light surrounded them, they grew as small as they could, shying away from view.

Kuroko was often likened to a shadow: almost always around, but unnoticed. Even those he spent hours with could forget he was there, shouting in surprise at his “sudden arrival”, as though he hadn’t been beside them, listening to their words with calm attention. There were few exceptions to this reoccurrence, and all but one of those exceptions had gone somewhere out of his reach, never to allow him to be a silhouette beside their bright light again.

“It’s in the name! The burgers are the best thing on the menu!” There was still one close to him, though.

“Just because it’s in the name doesn’t mean it’s the best! Are you going to Wendy’s and ordering Wendy-san herself? The vanilla milkshakes will always be better than anything else.”

“That doesn’t even make sense! At least I gave a reason!”

“And I gave a fact.” Kuroko picked up his pace, joining in with the crowd to fuel Kagami’s ire. The redhead cursed and joined him in the crowd, peering around then grabbing at the back of Kuroko’s collar before he could fully disappear.

“Where do you think you’re going?” When Kuroko answered with a curt, “Class,” the implied ‘ _ duh’ _ clear in his breath, Kagami furrowed his brows with an angry grin and shook the little bastard by the grip on his shirt. “How the hell do you think you’re going to get there when you don’t even know where it is?”

“….”

Kagami shook him harder, Kuroko’s head rocking back and forth. “You don’t even have an answer?!”

“Ah, Kagami, Kuroko’s with you?” He looked over his shoulder to see Kiyoshi at the gate, waving genially with that easy smile of his.

“Yeah, although he’s being a little shit. Who’s gonna show him around?”

Kuroko pinched at Kagami’s hand and proceeded to jab him in the side, turning his eyes to Kiyoshi attentively while ignoring the shout of pain and following curses.

“Probably not the person who’s supposed to. He’s probably skipping classes again, so I’d say it’ll be his class rep.” At that, Kagami hummed to himself.

“That’s probably for the best. See you at lunch, Kiyoshi-senpai.” He seized Kuroko’s wrist and began dragging him away slowly.

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me ‘Teppei-nii’?” Kiyoshi whined at him.

Kagami laughed with not a hint of guilt, “Sorry, sorry.” He proceeded with Kuroko in tow, waving one last time as he dragged the boy into the school.

Kuroko allowed himself to be hauled through the doors, changing out his shoes and following after Kagami swiftly. The redhead led him to their class, giving him pointers on key landmarks to help point him in the right direction should he ever get lost on his own. Kagami had him stay in the hallway, talking with the teacher momentarily before guiding Kuroko around the building, showing him the vending machines and bathrooms, the faculty room, and finally, the Student Council and Disciplinary Committee rooms.

“Hopefully,” Kagami said, “you’ll never have to see these rooms personally. Especially the Student Council room.”

Kuroko tilted his head, peering warily at the doors. “Why’s that?”

Kagami’s eyes darkened, a frown marring his face. “If you ever do… call me first. Got that?”

Cowed by the severity of Kagami’s intensity, Kuroko nodded, eyes glued to the sliding doors. As he and the redhead walked away from the room, he noticed the shifting of light in the tinted window.

By the time they returned to the classroom, the lunch bell was a few minutes from ringing. They decided to wait it out, moving towards the inner courtyard while discussing the bell schedule.

“Did you bring money?”

“Yeah.” Kuroko presented the bills in his hand, though he shifted uneasily. “I don’t think I really want the school lunch,” he admitted, “The food you made at home was a little too good for me to give up on yet.”

Kagami chuckled proudly, pulling his homemade lunch out of his school bag. “I’ll give this to you if I can buy myself food from the cafeteria,” he bargained.

Kuroko looked at the money he’d presented and put two bills back into his wallet. “Sure.”

“You put some back!”

“I don’t want you pigging out with my allowance,” Kuroko reasoned.

Relenting, Kagami sighed, walking out of the courtyard with a slow pace. Someone in the hallway nearby shouted to their friend that the meatbuns were starting to sell out, and Kuroko barely suppressed a laugh as the redhead booked it.

He returned with his haul soon enough, already tearing into a pork bun with smears of crumbs and meat juice on either corner of his lips. Kuroko made a snarky comment about the ‘very American’ way Kagami consumed his food in his ever-so bland tone, sparking an argument with the defense of Americans and their table manners set against the comparison of other countries with their handling of food and consumption.

Neither of them won when lunch neared its end, though they continued their debate weakly and sparsely on their trek back to their classroom. As Kuroko turned the corner, however, Kagami’s half-hearted retort died on his lips. Kagami stopped walking, making eye-contact with the student across the hall, just out of Kuroko’s view.

The tan student continued walking, his intensity stifling enough to keep the girls peering out of their classes mute and the boys avoiding any sort of interaction. The harsh shadows of his face made him almost appear sinister, menacing, yet Kagami stood straight and tall, glaring.

Neither of them broke the stare-down, the atmosphere in the hallway falling into a void of anticipation. Would there be an altercation?

Kagami felt his bag being tugged on, finally turning his eyes away from Aomine, who scoffed and sauntered into his classroom. Irritation bubbled in Kagami’s gut, growing unbearable as Kuroko moved into his vision.

“Kagami-kun?”

“H-Huh? What’s up?”

Kuroko pointed his finger toward the corner he’d turned earlier, “Class. It’s about to start.”

Finally taking notice of the near-empty hallway, Kagami cursed and began racing down the hall, though he kept his pace just slow enough for Kuroko to keep up. They barely made it into the class before the bell rang. Kagami sat himself down, and Kuroko, panting, stood beside the door to wait for the teacher to tell him to introduce himself.

He was pleased to find that the first class after lunch was Literature.

Kagami seemed mentally fried by the time classes ended, his cheek pressed to the desk before him. Kuroko could almost see the redhead’s spirit drifting out of him. He gave it a discreet poke, just to reinforce that it was nonexistent, but the way it was sucked back into Kagami’s body upon Kuroko making ‘contact’ made the hovering soul thing seem a lot more probable. Kagami looked up and around for a moment, perhaps wondering who laid a hand on his incorporeal form— _ okay, Kuroko needed to stop this joke before he genuinely started believing in it _ —eventually spotting the bluenette beside him with a loud yell.

“Ready to go to our house?” Kuroko asked, unfazed.

Kagami got his wits about him after a minute of frightened breathing. “Can’t, sorry.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and practically jumped in his seat, sweat forming on his skin. “ _ Shit! _ ” he said, in English.

Kuroko internally amused himself with the observation that Kagami had glanced at the analogue clock hanging above the door with a bewildered and hopeless look on his face before he pulled out his phone. He kept a mental note to pick on him about it later.

“Where are you going?”

“Grade-level meeting! I’ll explain more tomorrow; see you at the house!”

Kagami practically kicked up dust with the speed at which he hightailed it out of the classroom. Kuroko could still hear him making a ruckus, thundering down the hall while probably bumping into a few people.

The bluenette loitered a bit, arranging Kagami’s desk to be easier for those on clean-up duty to stack and taking in the warm, bright sunlight barely peeking around the overhang of the wall above the window. The sky outside was a deep, breathtaking blue, the strip closer to the horizon like Kuroko’s own hair, while the pool of cobalt in the apex of the sky was nearer to the friendly, energetic eyes of one of his old lights.

His name was on the tip of his tongue, wanting to claw its way out of his mouth and break the tender silence of the tranquil classroom.

_ “It’s… use… to yell.” _

“Huh?” Kuroko peered around the room, checking the door and in the hallway beyond. He couldn’t hear the voice anymore, so he shrugged and took his bag from the holder at his desk, heading down the hall. He heard a chorus of laughter from somewhere outside, picking up his pace and ignoring the goosebumps that crawled along his skin at the sound of it.

He went down the stairs to the first floor, trying to find a set of vending machines and failing to recall the landmarks Kagami told him to use. He wondered if they had those vanilla milkshake boxes, or at least a vanilla protein shake. Perhaps a vanilla yogurt drink would suffice, if not.

Turned-around as he was, he ended up in a part of the school Kagami showed him only briefly.

“This should be near the gyms… I think…”

After a few more corners turned, finally,  _ thank god, _ there was a vending machine.

Peering around at the options presented, none of the products Kuroko thought about were in the machine. His hopes slowly crumbling, he searched desperately for something vanilla flavored to tide him over. Banana…. Chocolate… Strawberry…. Vanilla…  _ Vanilla!! _

Eyes growing big and bright, Kuroko pushed his coins in and pressed the button eagerly, ready for the machine to deliver the vanilla pudding to the opening in the vending machine, looking through the glass—

…Only to see that there was nothing there, the machine returning his money. The clinking of coins falling into the cavity he was supposed to retrieve it all from resounded in the still air.

Kuroko’s mood proceeded to absolutely  _ plummet _ .

Truly, this was the worst. Lost in his new school with no one around, Kagami in a meeting and probably unlikely to pick up his phone (this part was incorrect, though Kuroko did not know it), and no vanilla food products to abate his desire.

Kuroko was taken over by an overwhelming feeling of defeat, though it would not be so apparent from his expression. Having already been lost on his journey there, he was not incredibly expectant on finding his way off-campus, so he allowed himself a moment of despondence. During this moment, however, a grunt sounded somewhere nearby. Kuroko felt himself perk up a bit; if someone were around, he could ask them for directions and finally go home!

With this in mind, the bluenette looked around the area with a strained ear, trying to find some audible sign of life. It wasn’t until he passed the gym that he found anyone: though, the situation he found them in was far… well, far from preferable.

There was a group of people all gathered around in a circle, snickering quietly. In their hands were miscellaneous school supplies and textbooks, and their bodies dipped like they were kicking a ball around.

Kuroko could hear puffs and grunts of pain every now and again, but they were far quieter than before: merely harsh exhales and the wincing and hissing of someone struggling to remain silent.

“Look at all the notes he took; you think he really tried on that test?” A guy with long, dull-purple hair chuckled arrogantly, tearing the notebook in his clutches in two and tossing the pieces to the floor. Kuroko moved closer, thankful for his lack of presence; he could see a brunet male curled on his side on the floor, a heel grinding into the space between the side of his pelvis and ribs. Dirty footprints littered his uniform jacket, which was torn in some places.

Another guy—this one had his hair slicked back and a dot on his tan forehead—had a few textbooks in one of his hands, pulling out a few pages from the top one, then flipping the cover shut. He released the pages and held the books in both hands, holding it over where the brunet’s head was. Kuroko winced as the books were dropped, probably around 2kgs falling a little over a meter onto his head. Some guy with bushy eyebrows didn’t look happy about the books, his eyes following them down, but he had a sneer returning to his face when the brunet let out an abrupt and short shout.

“Intellect is natural, you insect. If you have to work so hard just to stay in this school, you shouldn’t have gone for a scholarship. There are plenty of poor high schools in the cities around here; one of those is the perfect place for you and your breed.”

There was a brief pause, during which Kuroko carefully considered his options, trying to ignore the flutter of responsibility calling him to help.

Just as the pros of leaving outweighed the cons, the brunet guy looked up in Kuroko’s direction, Kuroko’s eyes looking into his, and suddenly leaving was out of the question.

“Stop.”

Bushy-brows brought his leg up and off the brunet, allowing him to move a little. He held his hand up, the others giving the brunet some space; the guy scooted away from them, balling up tighter. “Get up,” bushy-brows commanded, “Maybe we’ll let you go if you follow orders.”

The brunet slowly stood up, doubling over at one point with a sharp inhale. After some moments, he drew himself to nearly his full height, leaning against the wall with a hand at his injured side. His eyes fluttered closed briefly, probably trying to compose himself mentally, though Kuroko noticed bushy-brows pulling his fist back.

“ _ Stop! _ ”

Kuroko rushed forward, shoving through the long-haired and tan guys to shove bushy-brows’ arm to the side. Thinking fast, he grabbed at bushy-brows’ wrist and twisted him around, knocking him into his friends and causing them all to fall to the floor from the unexpected and sudden force. Kuroko took hold of the brunet and dragged him off, doing his best to support his weight and keep him from overexertion despite the difficulty it presented his small body.

“Come on,” he urged quietly, “I’ll get you out of here.”

Holding his breath and willing himself to move faster, the brunet took some of his weight off of Kuroko, the two of them entering the school building through a hall nearby. The guy directed Kuroko with a whisper, a bit of rasp building, likely due to saliva caught in his throat resulting presumably from the assault earlier.

They entered the third classroom on the right side of the hall, hiding away in the locker where the cleaning supplies sat. The closet of the classroom was a little further into the room, but Kuroko thought to himself that it’d be a little more obvious for them to hide there due to the extra room—if they’d even check all the classrooms.

The brunet leaned heavily on Kuroko’s side. His eye, the one closer to Kuroko, was swelling a bit—did the books hit him there? Wincing, Kuroko grasped his hand and squeezed it tightly, a foreign feeling swirling in his chest. Something about this guy felt… familiar.

The sound of footsteps and doors sliding open in the distance took Kuroko’s attention, his shoulders tensing as he carefully held the guy close to him. All they could do was wait and hope.

Sounds similar to those continued for a short while, voices discussing in hushed tones, curses carrying through the stillness of the hall.

“…-ve up…—'t worth…”

With that, the footsteps retreated.

Kuroko slowly nudged the brunet as a warning that he was going to open the locker. He slowly pressed at the locker door, easing it ajar, tensing as it let out a loud ‘ _ creeeak _ ’. Not wanting to risk the safety of the guy he nabbed, Kuroko eased it shut and poked his head around the sliding door, looking every which way for the assailants.

The door they entered the building through lazily closed, startling him momentarily. It could have been a ruse, but Kuroko felt that the bullies ( _ because what else could they be? _ ) wouldn’t expend so much energy over one person. He nodded to himself and helped the brunet out of the locker, swinging his arm over his shoulder and supporting his weight as best he could. They hobbled to the nurse's office steadily.

Kuroko laid the guy onto the nearest bed, looking around the multiple adjoined rooms and checking for any closed curtains. His search came up empty; he approached the first bed once more, about to tell the guy that he was going to find the faculty room before his eye caught the device next to the bed.

‘Page Nurse’ said the label beneath it, so Kuroko pressed the largest button on the device and watched it blink a few times before remaining lit. “Someone… will arrive… shortly…” Kuroko read off the scrolling text on the device. He turned to the brunet on the bed. “The nurse will… ah.”

He was asleep. Kuroko felt a small, soft smile creep up his face, though it faded and fell as he really took stock of the injuries on the guy. Blood was smeared along a jagged cut on his left cheek, while the area around his right eyebrow was a swollen and darkened purple. Did his face hit a rock when the books were dropped on him? Kuroko winced in sympathy, bringing his hand to cup the other’s face, thumb brushing the other, unwounded cheek.

He noticed a clock on the wall and stiffened. If he didn’t get home soon, Hyuga-senpai would probably kill him.

Reaching into his schoolbag, Kuroko retrieved a notebook; he scribbled down a message and left it beside the pillow upon which the brunet’s head rested. He took one last look at him and left the room.

Kuroko began his trek home.

* * *

Bushy-brows parted from his group on his way home, playing around with an item in his pocket. He drew it out and flipped open the silvery-light-blue phone, his own reflection showing in its black screen. The wallpaper had in the foreground the tops of seven heads of hair; pink, dark blue, cyan, yellow, red, and purple, in that order; and a large white building with a playground to its side in the background. Pink petals were caught in their brief instance of flight.

Whoever it was that had the gall to fight against him… he’d find them. A smirk crawled across his face.

This thought was echoed elsewhere.

The brunet in the nurse’s office read over the note he found next to him multiple times, committing its message to memory, hoping to find some clue in the shape of the words. He needed to show the nice guy his gratitude… even if he couldn’t actually remember what he looked like.

(Even more unfortunately, his fingers had smeared the ink of the phone number written on the back of the page… not that he noticed.)


	2. Chapter Two: “Quiet Looks Like Weakness—”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sibling bonding; scheming; convincing; reunions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a couple of months since I updated but I already have chapter three written! I decided to go with this mostly unbeta'd because my friend didn't have enough time to read it (AP Chemistry is kinda ravaging her soul right now so it's 100% understandable).  
>  Onto the chapter!
> 
> Chapter Two: “Quiet Looks Like Weakness—”
> 
> “—But you don't have to fight it; 'cause you're strong enough to win without a war.”  
>  –Invisible, Hunter Hayes

It took Kuroko a little while to get acquainted with the path to and from school. There was a restaurant along the way, and it took all of Kuroko’s willpower to keep from entering the large line once his nose caught a hint of vanilla wafting in the air. His homework sat heavily in his bag reminding him of all the assignments he’d have to do to catch up. At least he’d studied the material Kagami brought home.

Entering school a month late had its downfalls, despite what a lot of students would probably think. Schoolwork would already be piled high before one could even get a handle on the layout of the school building and make friends with those in their classes. Groups were already formed, cliques and gossip spread like wildfire among the freshmen with new information being added every day, and student-body elections had already taken place. While Kuroko appreciated having some time to adjust to his new home and family, he didn’t really fancy having to acclimate so long after his classmates had gotten comfortable.

His shoulders drooped steadily, a sigh tumbling past his lips as he fumbled with the house key. As studious as he was, he’d much rather finish reading _Things Fall Apart_ than scribble down answers and write up notes. Maybe he could save it as a reward for finishing his homework—incentive tended to work wonders. A flash of purple came to mind at that thought, but he pushed it away immediately. _Not now._ Shaking his head, he got into some more comfortable clothes and got ready to work.

Kuroko had gotten through about half of the assignments before he heard the front door open and shut. He blinked with bleary eyes, standing with a slight stumble before righting himself with a hand on his chair. Hyuuga’s shouts traveled through the house easily, although Kuroko could make out the cheery notes of Kiyoshi’s placation.

Opting to allow himself a brief break, he stood and grabbed at the ring he placed onto the desk, returning it to its rightful place on his left pointer finger. The ornate yellow glimmering in the lamplight drew his focus for a moment, his lips pursing. He forced his attention away, opening his bedroom door and heading towards the living room to greet his siblings.

“Hyuuga-senpai, Kiyoshi-senpai, welcome home.”

Kiyoshi grinned, ruffling his hair. “Glad to be back.” When Kuroko batted his hand away, Kiyoshi instead prodded at Hyuuga’s side with his elbow, earning a scathing glare.

“Here,” Hyuuga proffered a large drink. Kuroko quickly discovered that it was a vanilla milkshake when he caught the hint of its scent wafting around. He didn’t waste any time in snatching it from Hyuuga’s grasp, shutting his eyes in bliss when the soft creaminess greeted his tongue. He murmured a ‘thank you’ through the straw between his lips. Hyuuga looked equal parts disgusted and pleased, rubbing his neck and stalking off to his bedroom.

Kuroko indulged in a few more heavenly slurps before informing his adoptive brothers that he’d boiled some eggs for them to put in their lunches the following school day. They muttered their thanks and made their way into their bedrooms, though Kuroko stood around in the living room to await Kagami’s return.

He pulled a small, round container which held some vanilla-flavored lip balm, resisting the urge to nibble on the raised, chapped areas of his lips. He paced around the room a bit, the image of large palms holding the lip balm out to him, followed by long fingers sifting through his light blue strands. He could still feel the brush of a breeze against his arms; the rough tree bark at his back was tolerable only due to the book in his hands and the head resting on his thighs. The hair splayed upon his legs tickled him, especially when the wind picked up enough to skirt it across his alabaster skin. Leaves rustled, and grass whispered secrets into his ears when he eventually readjusted to curl up in it, another warm body holding tightly to his arm with soft breaths fanning over his cheek.

The bluenette was startled out of his recollection by a burger wrapper bouncing off his forehead.

“Stop thinking; you’ll hurt yourself.”

Kuroko narrowed his eyes at the redhead, though the way he had to crane his neck really took away from the danger of his glare. Despite the lackluster threat level, Kagami inched away with wide eyes, his arms coming up defensively. Kuroko then noticed a bag likely full of burgers on his right forearm, as well as a drink in his right hand. Strangely enough, the drink was the exact same as the one in Kuroko’s own hands, even though Kagami had previously voiced his disdain towards the taste of Maji Burger’s vanilla milkshakes.

_…Wait a second…_

“Kagami-kun…”

“Y-Yeah…?” Kagami seemed to tense himself in preparation, eyes shut.

Kuroko rolled his eyes. As if he’d jab Kagami in the side when the redhead could potentially drop the precious drink in his clutches. “Did you also bring me a vanilla shake?”

“ _Also??_ ” Kagami opened his eyes and immediately locked them on Kuroko’s shake in shock, then gazing towards Hyuuga’s room with bewilderment. “What? Hyuuga-senpai said he was buying it because he wanted to try it!”

Kuroko shrugged. Kagami sighed, depositing the drink in the fridge for Kuroko to consume with his breakfast the next morning. He eventually leaned against the wall nearby.

“So, what have you been up to? You didn’t get lost on your way out, did you?”

“…No.”

Kagami scrutinized the bluenette, trying to see if there was a lie hidden beneath the ever-impassive façade of his adopted brother. Kuroko, having gotten used to being frequently accosted due to Kagami’s overprotective nature over the past couple of years, managed to maintain his stoicism.

After a long pause, Kagami finally backed off, dropping his bag down onto the coffee table and plopping onto the couch, crossing his arms. “Whatever. Just make sure you call me if anything happens.”

Kuroko just rolled his eyes, walking back up to his room so he could hole up and finish his homework. “I made boiled eggs,” he called back behind him, hearing his brothers shout their acknowledgment back, muffled and distorted against the furniture and walls between them. He heard Kagami say that he’d put some in their lunch tomorrow, and felt a smile crawl up his lips.

* * *

_A gust of wind, blowing ripples through soft strands of hair. Liquid gold grips him with distant warmth, affection locked behind transparent steel walls. Hands bigger than his cradle his face, brushing chubby thumbs over the swells of his plump cheeks, streaking water across the skin. Tan fingers intertwine with his, skin slightly rougher than his own. A smile as bright as the sun. Cherry blossoms blending in with long strands. A bandage being applied to a scratch on his knee, a lush forest distraught over the sight of ruby blood._

_“Kuroko-kun, we’ll always be together.”_

_"No matter how lost you get, we’ll always find you.”_

_“It’s a promise, then.”_

_Five stars brought together to illuminate his sad, longing eyes. Reaching out, hands grasping at the silhouettes of their retreating backs. A shock of dark red hair, and a warm embrace, his world finally brightened after an eon of darkness._

* * *

The next morning was the same level of chaos as usual, although Kuroko was now actually included in the rush to school: Hyuuga having to yell Kiyoshi out of the shower; Kagami forcing lunchboxes into the older siblings’ hands before they could rush out the door to get to their respective duties (Hyuuga to the Disciplinary Committee and Kiyoshi to the Student Council); Kagami having to wrestle the pink frilly apron off of his body and toss on his school uniform while Kuroko sat watching in amusement, and Kagami yanking Kuroko behind him by the arm as he ran to school (Kuroko just allowed himself to be dragged, preserving his stamina and munching on a riceball Kagami provided as breakfast).

They barely made it before the bell.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko murmured, tugging on his sleeve, “are you going to have a meeting after school today?”

Kagami glanced behind him as their homeroom teacher droned on, clearly not noticing Kuroko whispering during his class. He quickly scribbled into his workbook and angled it so Kuroko could read over his shoulder.

_‘Yes. Will explain stuff after lunch.'_

Kuroko hummed his affirmation, watching in amusement as Kagami tried to figure out what the teacher had written on the board while he was distracted before proceeding to freak out.

* * *

Kiyoshi was used to the sight of Hanamiya waltzing into the classroom halfway through second period, all smooth words and sugary-sweet lies when the teacher would care enough to ask about his tardiness. What was different today was the especially foul mood that Hanamiya was in, as well as the black fabric peeking out from under the sleeve of his uniform. Kiyoshi wasn’t all-too inclined to pay attention to the math lesson for the day, so he edged his desk closer to Hanamiya’s and prepared to happily bother the bushy-browed male.

“What happened to your wrist?” he whispered, pretending to look forward while taking glances at Hanamiya. Unaffected by the responding silence, he continued, “Was it sprained?”

“Fuck. Off.”

Kiyoshi laughed softly. “Now that’s not very nice.” The glare Hanamiya leveled him with was scathing and promised pain. Kiyoshi was, of course, unaffected—the Student Council President had sent him worse looks before, and he at least knew Hanamiya was harmless in comparison (which really showed just how frightening said president was). “You didn’t get into any fights on school grounds, did you?”

Their school took those types of issues very seriously, although the student council had tried to brush a few incidents under the rug. (“The reputation of the school, as well as its head committees, is far higher a priority in maintaining than that of the rules. Even our advisor has told us that we are the exception, even as we appear to be exemplars in the eyes of the student body.”) Hyuuga would have something to say to that, were it not for the impositions upon the Disciplinary Committee by the faculty.

Hanamiya scoffed, maintaining silence.

“Were you bullied?” Kiyoshi saw the way Hanamiya’s expression flickered, though he couldn’t really decipher it.

“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” The offense in the tone was harsh and biting, yet the look in his eyes was strange.

“You were,” he breathed, “You definitely were.”

Hanamiya was dead silent, seemingly fuming. “I hate talking to you. God, you piss me off.”

Kiyoshi softened his tone, placing a gentle hand onto Hanamiya’s shoulder, which was shrugged off viciously, “I can find out who hurt you. I’ll make sure they get the punishment they should for it, Hanamiya; you just have to tell me who did it and what happened.”

“I don’t have to tell you jackshit,” he muttered, a gleam slipping into his eyes when they caught the light—he was thinking, maybe debating his options: weighing the merits?

A smirk yanked his lips into something on the border of cruel and curious, and yet Kiyoshi was kept unaware due to his own earnest, large, _naïve_ ‘Iron Heart.’ And being the ‘Bad Boy’ he was, Hanamiya couldn’t see such a display of trust and _not_ use it to his full advantage.

“Fine, you’ve got me.” Hanamiya slumped in his seat, crossing his arms and resting his cheek against them, exaggerating the wince that came up when he tilted his head wrong and put the weight onto his injured wrist; it helped sell his lie even better, “I was joking around with the Kirisaki Daiichi after school and I saw some guy bothering Ogiwara-san from Class 1-C. I was super shocked, since it seemed like he was getting threatened, and then the guy shoved his face into a wall.”

“Did you get a teacher?” Kiyoshi interrupted.

“Furuhashi was looking around for a while, but he didn’t find anyone. They were probably advising clubs. Anyway, Hara and I tried to talk to the guy, but he didn’t listen to us. He went to punch Ogiwara-san, so I tried to push him away, but he twisted my arm by my hand.” Hanamiya held up his wrist. “Hurt like hell, but I’m not a weakling.” Unlike Ogiwara, himself, he thought.

Kiyoshi winced sympathetically, placing a hand on Hanamiya’s shoulder. He ignored it only for the sake of his game of Hide-and-Seek, although a large piece of him itched to break every finger making contact with him so he could relish in the agony it’d cause.

“Hara and Seto scared him off, and Seto took Ogiwara-san to the Nurse, though he had to leave for his part time job right after. I don’t know much about Ogiwara-san, but I feel like it’d be dangerous to make this known to the student body. Ogiwara-san told Seto that we shouldn’t tell anyone or make a problem of it, since he’s afraid the guy will do something to him outside of school.”

Hanamiya furrowed his thick brows and looked guiltily at Kiyoshi. “If he finds out I told you, or that I’m looking for the guy who’s been bullying him, he might not cooperate. It makes me really sad that he’d feel that way,” and then, just to throw Kiyoshi off a little, he amended, “As if I’d say that! It’s annoying that he’d think I’d be so tactless.”

It wouldn’t do to be a pouty bitch the entire way through his act; Kiyoshi has seen Hanamiya’s snarky, aggressive side. However, the poor bastard was always trying to see ‘the good’ in him, and that was how Hanamiya managed these types of maneuvers. Oh, maybe one day he’d learn. _As if_.

“I’ll see to it that the Student Council and Disciplinary Committee locate the perpetrator. We won’t let things go the way Ogiwara-kun thinks it will. Do you remember what the guy looked like?”

“Not at all. None of us do. He wore our uniform, but everything else was kind of lost in the moment.” Hanamiya pretended to pay attention to the lesson again.

Kiyoshi scrunched his eyebrows, humming and muttering to himself.

“If you think you’ve found someone, send ‘em my way. I’ll probably be able to tell if I see him.”

He earned a nod. Hiding a smirk, he reaffirmed all of the details of their conversation mentally. His little rebel will be handed to him on a silver platter: and by the Student Council, no less! Now all he had to do was wait for Hara to get back on shift at his part-time job, and Hara would hack into the phone and spill before him its enlightening contents.

The perfect way for Hanamiya to pass time for his last year.

* * *

“What did you want to explain?”

Kagami rifled through his bag. “Uh, meetings. I have Class Rep meetings every Wednesday, but every two weeks, I have meetings with the Student Council on Thursdays. Kiyoshi-senpai’s the same, although usually he stays after to help… _well_ , mess with Hyuuga-senpai, actually, since Hyuuga-senpai’s got Disciplinary Committee meetings every morning and after school.”

“Every day? That seems overboard.” Kagami placed a bento box in front of Kuroko, who nodded in gratitude and muttered a soft, “Thank you. _Itadakimasu_.”

“Yeah, the President is really… hardcore? Er, _intense_ is probably a better word to describe her. She’s nice enough to Kiyoshi-senpai, but Hyuuga-senpai’s told me that she’s basically the devil.” Kagami dug into his own bento.

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit—though, silence wasn’t really the right word, what with Kagami’s incessant loud chewing. As with many Americans, Kagami knew nothing of manners nor quiet, Kuroko mused.

“Do you get lonely?” Kagami inquired suddenly. Kuroko choked a little on his food. He took a moment to dislodge the bit of dry yolk that almost veered into his windpipe and compose himself after his run-in with potential death. “After school, I mean. You’re all by yourself at home and you haven’t made yourself any friends yet… Does it bother you? I know it’s only your second day, but…I don’t know.”

Kuroko dabbed at his mouth with his handkerchief, smiling wistfully. “It’s not unbearable. I’m quite used to being on my own, and I don’t particularly dislike my own company.”

“But—”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to having friends, of course. It’s just a bit easier to read novels than navigate interpersonal relationships, so I don’t really put forth much effort in making them.”

The redhead considered his words for the rest of lunch, stuffing his face with rice in a more thoughtful manner than usual… or something to that effect—Kuroko couldn’t really tell what went on in Kagami’s head beyond food, sports, and stupidity.

Immediately after lunch came Literature, where the teacher greeted them with a quiz. Kuroko had an advantage, what with both his love of books and him having had to play catch-up the night previous; Kuroko’s knowledge was both fresh and expansive, and it showed greatly in his test score. Kuroko was practically sparkling when he returned to his seat after collecting his test at the end of the period.

In stark contrast, Kagami trudged back to his desk with a look of utter defeat marring his face.

“How’d you do, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko peered at his brother’s sheet with innocent curiosity, though Kagami bristled, tearing his paper in two in his efforts to keep his score hidden from the bluenette’s prying eyes. “So clumsy.”

“ _BECAUSE YOU—!!_ ” Their teacher cleared his throat and sent the redhead a withering glare. Kagami wilted instantly. “What’d you get?” he quarried petulantly.

“It’s nothing too special, but I’m quite proud of it,” he admitted, turning his page over to reveal a 98 scrawled at the top. His smile was small, and his eyes gauged Kagami’s reaction gingerly.

A grin pulled up the corners of Kagami’s lips, poppy eyes soft and alight with pride. “As you damn well _should_ be—good job, dude!” He yanked Kuroko down with an arm around his neck, noogying him enthusiastically as Kuroko protested with all the strength he had—that is to say, _not much,_ and therefore far too little to stop Kagami.

Despite the annoyance he presented at the other’s actions, Kuroko felt warmth spread throughout his body, fighting a smile as he looked for an opening in Kagami’s hold to very precisely jab into the softer area just below his ribs. When he found it, he tensed his fingers, bit the inside of his cheek, and delighted in the squawk of pain that graced his ears.

“Sadistic… bastard….” Kagami wheezed.

Kuroko responded by smiling dryly with his hand formed into a peace sign.

* * *

It was towards the end of the period when Kuroko noticed the note written on the back of his paper, the neat handwriting having eluded him earlier due to his intense focus on Kagami’s reaction.

_‘With a score like this, the library committee would likely be interested in having you. Ask the class representative for a club membership application. If you need help filling it out or would like me to vouch for you with a recommendation letter, please feel free to find me in the faculty room.’_

And so, Kuroko spent the next class mulling it over, slumped with his head in his arms. He hadn’t really reached a conclusion when the bell rang, still facing towards the window with indecision swirling in his eyes. The furrow of his brows likely caught Kagami’s attention, as he paused in gathering his things to level Kuroko with a concerned gaze.

“You okay?” He sat backwards in his chair, leaning closer with this frowny-pout that almost made Kuroko’s cheek twitch with the repression of a smile.

“I’m thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourse— _ow! Son of a bitch—!_ Okay, okay, what are you thinking about?” Kagami rubbed at the spot on his forehead where Kuroko flicked him, holding back the tears pooling in his eyes to preserve some semblance of dignity.

Kuroko, for all his lackluster stamina and nonexistent athletic ability, had strange reserves of strength that came through only when he deigned it necessary to inflict some type of pain onto Kagami’s person. Their older brothers made fun of Kagami for his wariness, claiming that Kuroko couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to; Kagami knew he’d be on the floor laughing the day he saw Kuroko hitting one of them with an Ignite Punch (or calling an ambulance should they earn an Ignite Punch KAI).

“I am wondering if I should join the library committee. Mr. Takeda said it would be a good fit for me.”

Kagami hummed, “Well, you _do_ like books…”

“What do you think I should do?” Kuroko probed, fiddling with the clip of his pencil.

“I think you oughtta go for it. I mean, why not? The rest of us have after school activities, so it’d be a good thing to keep you occupied and not miss us too much.”

“Gross.”

“Rude.” Kagami flicked Kuroko’s nose. “But still, you won’t have to be alone.”

Kuroko shook his head, “It’s okay. Reading makes it better, anyway.”

There was a pause, during which Kagami slumped and gazed up at Kuroko contemplatively. Kuroko was as blank, seamless, and vacant as a clear sky, although with just as many varying shades and depths, upon closer inspection. Well, when people would actually see him.

“You should go for it. It’d be a good opportunity for you to make friends,” he eventually said.

Kuroko’s smile was just as distant as the exosphere, and while Kagami felt like a bird freed by the air Kuroko gave him to breathe and soar in, he knew Kuroko had those layers just out of reach. Kagami was trapped in the troposphere.

“Then I suppose I’ll join. Could you get me a club application, Kagami-kun?” Kagami was out of his seat in an instant, much like a puppy eager to please his owner, and he was tearing down the halls.

When he returned, panting, he was cursing at Kuroko for sending him off with only two minutes left before their next class would start. He was back just before the bell rang, of course, so Kuroko patted him on the shoulder and thanked him, then urged him to sit down before the teacher could arrive.

Kuroko found himself overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn’t quite name, a blend of melancholy and happiness with just a touch of affection. He leaned over to Kagami and whispered into his ear, “Thank you.” _For more than just the sheet of paper, for more than the encouragement, for so much more than Kuroko could put into words._

Kagami sent him a questioning look but didn’t pursue it further, and for that, too, Kuroko was very grateful.

* * *

Kuroko was left to his devices once Kagami left the room. He didn’t loiter in the classroom, today, instead wandering to the front of the school, where a tan brunet and a ravenette stood beside the gate, monitoring the grounds. Or, rather, the ravenette was scanning the grounds and nodding understandingly as the brunet talked about something or another, occasionally responding by shifting his eyebrows to form a different expression, though all of them seemed either pensive or solemn. Nonetheless, the brunet took it the same as a verbal reply, emphatically continuing his borderline-monologue.

They didn’t cast him a single glance as he sat at the base of a tree, pulling out his application and a large hardback book to use as a solid surface to fill the sheet out on. It took less than ten minutes, after which Kuroko spent a few extra minutes sunbathing and appreciating the breeze sending his hair billowing around his head.

The sunlight seeped through the fabric of his clothing to warm his skin, pulling a contented sigh out from within him. His eyes fluttered shut, and he could almost still hear the shouting and laughter from a distant dream. The wind rustled through the leaves and branches and whispered sweet nothings into his ears, concealing soft footsteps. Kuroko stiffened as he finally caught the rustle of fabrics and the clatter of a bookbag dropping onto a root that was slightly protruding from the grass.

“Man, how am I supposed to get anything done with a schedule like this?”

Kuroko noted the new person’s accent, the little slur of a suffix at the end of his sentence. It seemed almost familiar. Hesitantly, fearfully, he opened his eyes. The sunny shock of hair greeting him gleaned in the waning light, and Kuroko couldn’t breathe, a lump forming in his throat as he watched the blond curl up petulantly.

“Kise-kun?”

And those eyes were just as cold as when Kise’d left, clasping onto the flawless hands of a wealthy family that offered him more than the building Kuroko was left alone in, though the surprise and spark of recognition filling the orbs came with a set of tears as Kise whirled around, happily exclaiming and drawing the attention of the Disciplinary Committee members at the gate.

“K- Kurokocchi!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could've not done a cliffhanger but 4K words is enough for a single chapter ;P  
> *gets shot*


	3. Chapter Three: “Instead of Just Invisible—”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effort; Meetings; Self-Determination; Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also unbeta-ed for the same reason as the last chapter. I'll hopefully get chapter four done soon! Feel free to comment edits if you feel like it! :)
> 
> **Chapter Three: “Instead of just invisible—”**
> 
> _ “— Like shadows in a faded light; Oh we're invisible; _
> 
> _ I just wanna open your eyes; And make you realize...” _
> 
> _ –Invisible, Taylor Swift_

“K-Kise-kun.”

“Kurokocchi!” the blond blubbered, his eyes shiny.

“Kise-kun…” Kuroko cupped his cheek, looking like he was on the cusp of expression.

Kise held Kuroko tight and let his tears drip onto Kuroko’s gentle hand, his smile as watery as his eyes. His vision was blurry, enough so that he couldn’t see how Kuroko’s face shifted.

“Kise-kun, please get _off_ —” The hand at his jaw suddenly had an immense amount of force behind it, shoving Kise away from the blunette and onto the ground. Kise’s whining was renewed, if only because he couldn’t quite figure out how he was supposed to react to the situation at hand and dramatics worked well enough to delay reality.

Kuroko was here, still smaller than Kise, still stoic and uncompromising, staring down at Kise with enough shock in his eyes that Kise thought of it as a victory, much like in their old games of trying to impress Kuroko. There was this unpleasant feeling swirling in his chest, coupling itself with a soft sentimentality that Kise wouldn’t let himself properly touch. But, this was Kuroko. His Kurokocchi. The blond would willingly take a beating from Kuroko if it meant he could just hold him long enough to convince himself that this was real.

“Polite as ever,” Kise commented, wanting nothing more than to pull Kuroko close to himself again: instead, he smiled and ruffled the younger’s hair. “Have you even changed at all?”

The blunette blinked at him, looking him up and down, sending a flush shooting up his neck. Kise glanced away, scratching at his cheek. He knew he wasn’t ugly—far from it, certainly, and the scrutiny wasn’t unfamiliar, but—but Kurokocchi’s gaze was… oh, he couldn’t describe the way it bore into him and took apart every seam holding him together. “I would hope so. You haven’t changed much, yourself.”

“Haven’t I?” Kise leaned closer, pressing an arm against the tree and pushing into Kuroko’s space; making the blunette uncomfortable sometimes made these types of conversations easier. His responses got more predictable, and his annoyance blinded him from those small details he always picked up on. He wouldn’t notice the tremble in his fingers; the uneven pacing of his breath; the guilt pulling Kise taut. “At least I’ve gotten a little taller, and even more charming. Did you know, Kurokocchi—I’m a model, now! Girls fall over themselves trying to get my attention, and everywhere I go, people praise me for my athletic ability, my looks, my charisma—”

“That’s not what you want, is it?”

“What?”

Kuroko brought his face slightly closer, periwinkle pools too expansive—enough so that Kise wound tighter. “You don’t want praise for things that come easy. You might seem simple-minded, but you aren’t the type to find contentment, let alone pleasure, in meaningless compliments. Am I right?”

The blonde clenched a fist against the trunk, furrowing his brows despite the wry smile on his lips. “Your observations have gotten better, haven’t they? But you’re wrong.”

“How so?”

Kise pressed together their foreheads, letting his voice drop down to a whisper, “ _I’d do anything to hear your compliments, Kurokocchi._ ”

“Kise-kun, you’re saying stupid things again.” Kuroko moved to push him away again, so Kise snatched one of his wrists and put his lips to it. “You’re being childish.”

Impulse always came easy with him, and it was only exacerbated with Kuroko so close, so tangible. After a long pause, during which Kise inhaled the hint of vanilla coming off Kuroko’s skin and noted the slight coldness of his hand, Kise reinstated his bubbliness. He laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

“I am, huh? Sorry, sorry. I was just so excited to see you after all these years.” The blonde stood, yanking Kuroko to his feet and catching him when he swayed a bit.

A sheet of paper beside their shoes caught Kuroko’s attention, thankfully keeping him from returning to their previous conversation. It fluttered and slipped off the book it was originally resting upon, but Kise snatched it up before the breeze could set it fully adrift. He adjusted the paper and scanned it quickly.

“You’re joining the Library Committee?”

Kuroko nodded. “They might not accept my application, though. I only transferred in yesterday, even if my teacher thinks I’d be a good fit for it.”

“But if your teacher already recommended you, I’m sure that means you’ll have a good chance! If I remember right, the Library Committee doesn’t even have a lot of members, so it’s not like you’ll even have any competition, especially a month in. And,” Kise winked at him, “I could always pull a few strings if you asked me to.”

“No thank you. Anyway, I should probably go turn this in before it gets too late. Goodbye, Kise-kun.”

“Ah, Kurokocchi—” Kise’s palm was on the blunette’s shoulder before he realized it. Shit, what should he say? “I missed you. Every day that I was away from you, I wanted nothing more than for you to be at my side.”

“You could have come back, just for a visit. But you didn’t. Not one of you did.”

“Are you mad about it?”

Kuroko smiled at him, a sort of smile that made him feel unreachable. “I’m not mad at all, and I never have been. I missed you, too.” But he turned to leave.

_Was this how it had felt back then? No, wait, please. Don’t… Don’t go._

“Can I visit you at the library? When I’m not busy with Student Council stuff or modelling, can I swing by?”

He wasn’t desperate often. But he knew Kuroko could disappear so easily if he so wished, and that was far more terrifying now that they weren’t children. There was no home for the two of them to return to together, not anymore, and Kise couldn’t sit awake all night waiting for Kuroko to return to their room.

Instead, he’d end up staring at his ceiling thinking about all he’d done wrong, making shapes out of the shadows that could show him all the things he’d have changed.

The shorter male stood still, his back turned and his silence deafening. Kise waited with bated breath.

“Just make sure not to interfere with my duties,” he warned, before resuming his trek away.

It took a second for him to process, then his shoulders fell. He smiled like a kid on Christmas, face lit up. “I promise!” he called.

His elation carried him through town to his job, where his manager and the photographer both found themselves impressed with the results he presented before the camera, and with the thought of Kuroko in his head, Kise felt a little better about their praise.

* * *

Kuroko noted how empty the library was, and it was due to this fact that he easily found the Library Committee’s president crouched behind the book checkout desk. He was a morose individual with grey hair and a blank disposition, who nearly jumped three feet in the air when Kuroko stood in front of him, leaned forward, and tapped at his shoulder.

“When did you get there?!”

His response was as bland as ever, “I was here this whole time.”

The committee leader grumbled to himself, and Kuroko didn’t show his surprise at hearing the male mutter, “That’s supposed to be my schtick.” His scowl was eventually leveled at his junior before his features became decidedly more tired than angry. “So, what do you want? I’m kinda busy here. Lots of work to do.”

Kuroko held his tongue, handing his application to him.

“You want to join? Like, actually?” He scoffed at the single raised eyebrow sent his way. “Hey, just because you aren’t saying anything doesn’t mean I’m gonna take your bullshit. I’m still your upperclassman, and _I’m_ the one who gets to make the final decision about whether or not you’re in…” he took a glance at the paper once more, “Kuroko Tetsuya-kun.”

“I’m sorry, Senpai, I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. So, what made you decide that you wanted to be a part of the Library Committee?”

Kuroko squatted down near the president, silent for a beat. “I was recommended to by my Literature teacher.”

“That’s all? That’s boring. Don’t you think for yourself? I wouldn’t join a club just because somebody told me I’d be good for it.”

“Well,” Kuroko piped, “I like books. I read a lot, and my brother said it’d—”

“There you go again.” The silverette palmed his face, “You need to stop talking about other people’s opinions here, I’m already sick of it. Listen,” he locked eyes with the blunette, “You need to do things because they interest you, and because you want to do them, not just because everybody else tells you to. If you’re so worried about other people, have them join instead.” Kuroko nodded, considering.

“Then… I’m joining because I enjoy reading and… I want to tell people about books or introduce them to new titles and authors. I also think it’ll be a good place to…. to make friends. Probably.”

The president smirked at him, laughing under his breath. “’Probably’,” he mocked. “Alright, good enough, whatever. You’re in. Mayuzumi Chihiro.”

Kuroko gave a confused blink.

Mayuzumi rolled his eyes and slid the paper onto the desk above and behind his head. “My name, idiot.”

“Ah, nice to meet you, then, Mayuzumi-senpai. Please take care of me.” Kuroko bowed his head, then rose. “Should I do anything today, or should I start tomorrow?”

Mayuzumi ruffled his own hair and went back to his book. “Do whatever, I don’t really care. Just don’t bother me.”

“What are you reading?” Kuroko glanced at the cover, although Mayuzumi quickly slammed the book shut and obscured the title and artwork with his hands.

“Did you even _hear_ what I just— _God_ , this was a fucking mistake.” Mayuzumi dragged a palm down his face and sighed in aggravation. “It’s a light novel. Don’t you dare laugh.”

Kuroko nodded, although a small snort escaped him. “Sorry.” He tried to look guilty about it, but his upperclassman didn’t buy it at all.

“Uh-huh, fuck you. Have you ever even read a light novel?” He was met with silence. “…Thought not. Here, I’m going to loan you this book, and you’re going to read it and appreciate it without any judgment first, and once you’ve finished— _only_ once you’ve finished—you can tell me your thoughts. Until then, your opinion is invalid and can get fucked.”

Mayuzumi shooed him away after that, and Kuroko did his best to withhold his bias as he glanced over the cover art, eye twitching at the blaring pinks and blues adorning the characters. Despite his hesitance in reading the frankly obnoxious looking novel, he appreciated Mayuzumi’s efforts to help him. It wouldn’t hurt to try and find some common ground with the president, so he settled down at a seat by the window and did his best to enjoy what he was given.

The first page already had him regretting his decision, but he was nothing if not stubborn, so he forged through and tried to ignore the snarky commentary his brain thought up along the way.

* * *

“Mayu-chan, we’ve got a delivery!”

Mayuzumi let out a long-drawn sigh, slamming the back of his head against the side of the desk so he could express to the ravenette his complete and bottomless disdain. “Thanks, thanks. Now please go die somewhere and never return.”

Takao snorted. “You _wish_ it’d be that easy to get rid of me. If it weren’t for the fact that I have to babysit you-know-who I’d join the committee. Then I could see the joy slowly leave your eyes far more frequently!” The sunny smile sent his way gave him a full-body shudder, and the disgust was clearly expressed on his face by the chortle escaping the other.

“Just get out of here, shithead.”

“Alright,” he said, drawing out the ‘i’ just to relish in the pure pain that Mayuzumi showed. Blue eyes flicked to the desk, where, beside the box of books he’d placed down, a sheet of paper sat innocuous and yet piqued his curiosity. “Oh? So it’s not just gonna be you and Muro-chan?”

“We have others!” Mayuzumi growled, “They just don’t fucking show up. Or they go elsewhere, like a certain asshole.”

Takao shrugged good-naturedly, “Shin-chan needed a second-in-command, and I couldn’t let him do it alone.”

The silverette faked a gag, “Jesus, you doting older brother-types make me sick. I’d rather lay in traffic than pretend to love my siblings.”

“You learn to find ‘em endearing and funny, even when they’re stubborn. Did you know he sleeps with whatever his lucky item is? Here, I have a picture.” Mayuzumi peered at the screen with a twitch in his eye, nudging the raven away to shake his head.

“Ugh, disgusting. Get away from me.”

“You’re just jealous.”

Mayuzumi’s middle finger was greeted with Takao sticking his tongue out at him before a cough interrupted them both.

While Mayuzumi stepped back in surprise, Takao nearly fell over in his shock, which Mayuzumi at least had his wits about himself enough to take note of. The last time he’d seen this type of reaction from the pain-in-the-ass was when they’d first met, and it was just as priceless as before.

“You’re way too close,” Mayuzumi breathed, pressing his hand to Kuroko’s neat bangs and shoving him away. He didn’t push too hard, although the blunette still stumbled a little with a soft apology following. “And don’t sneak up on people.”

“You’re one to talk,” Takao managed as he caught his breath. Once he regained his composure, he chuckled helplessly. “Did your family snag another one? Or maybe this one’s a blood relative?”

“No, Jesus fuck. Over my dead body.”

“That’s a little rude, Mayuzumi-senpai,” Kuroko piped. “I came here to have a good time, and I’m feeling a little attacked right now.”

Mayuzumi managed to leave an imprint on his own forehead with the force of his facepalm, though the sound of his palm touching his face was not nearly loud enough nor long enough to drown out Takao’s incessant hollering.

“I like him! Please tell me he’s in the club, I’m begging you to let him in,” Takao sputtered joyously.

“I’m reconsidering.”

“I’m sorry, Senpai, please don’t kick me out.”

Kuroko’s eyes were earnest, though Mayuzumi could see the telltale signs of mischief hidden in the ocean depths. God, he got another shithead to take care of, and he wondered briefly about why this was his life _._ “You’re on thin ice, you bastard. What’d you want?”

“Your book,” he held the volume out to him gingerly, “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to return it to you before I went home, and I didn’t want to take it without making sure first. You looked happy reading it, so I thought you might just want it back to finish it.”

The look on his face was probably a strange mix of surprised, touched, and annoyed, because Takao was panting with a smile and wet eyes that promised a laugh the second he opened his mouth. He was proven right when a strangled sound left him. “No, keep it,” he forced out, “You can give it back when you’re done, I’ve already read that one.”

Kuroko’s nod was thankfully not accompanied by a smile; Mayuzumi probably would have died otherwise, if only due to the fact that he physically could not breathe. How does someone with such bland features sparkle like that?

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Mayuzumi-senpai.”

“WAIT!” Takao cried, grasping Kuroko’s shoulder once he got done laughing _again_ . “ _Please_ , what’s your name, I want to be your friend.”

Oh, shit, the sparkles came out—Mayuzumi’s eyes hurt from the onslaught.

“Kuroko Tetsuya.”

“Kuroko Tetsuya, I love you.” Kuroko’s expression was a bit horrified. “No, I was kidding—it was a joke, don’t worry. Takao Kazunari’s my name. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“…You, as well.” He warily took Takao’s hand with a quick and firm shake before dropping it like it held a disease, quickly backing a decent step away in case Takao tried anything funny. The mildly baffled look on the ravenette’s face was enough to earn Kuroko a, “Nice,” from Mayuzumi, before the silverette ushered Takao out the door.

“Shoo, Hawky.”

The squawk of indignation from the ravenette as the door slammed in his face proved the nickname apt. As Mayuzumi passed him the books from the box that he was to organize in the library (Mayuzumi directed him surprisingly efficiently for someone seemingly so antisocial), Kuroko wondered if every day would be so entertaining in his new club.

* * *

Kagami appeared a little smug when Kuroko entered the house with a marginally more pleasant brand of stoicism. He even took notice of the light novel, its spine cradled in Kuroko’s smaller palm; Kuroko had to grab at the sunglasses Kiyoshi left on the coffee table to shield himself from the blinding grin delivered his way.

“So, did you make friends?”

“More or less.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kagami tossed his socked feet onto the table, reaching for the remote at the arm of the couch but weighed down by the excess roundness of his gut—Kuroko had a very strong suspicion that Kagami barely just ate his usual surplus of food. “You eat, yet?”

Kuroko nodded, showing off the near-empty milkshake cup in his left hand before slurping the remainder and attempting to shoot it into the trashcan. Kagami burst into a fit of snorts when it tapped against the rim and toppled a bottle to the floor alongside itself. The blunette sighed, slumping the tiniest bit as he trudged over and cleaned up his mess. Once he finished his short task, he dropped onto the couch.

Kagami placed a hand on his shoulder and dragged him by it, until his ear rested on the redhead’s lap. Briefly, Kuroko indulged his curiosity and tuned in to the churning of Kagami’s stomach before listening in for that strong heartbeat that often lulled Kuroko to sleep in the middle of the night a few years prior. When he found it, his lashes drooped gently, and the tension seeped out of his body; he really hadn’t noticed how exhausted he was until the moment his walls fell.

“Feel free to sleep, dumbass.”

Kuroko murmured some sort of retort, something against the tacked-on insult, although it didn’t quite make it to his ears. Kagami scoffed, despite that. Eventually, Kuroko was able to whisper into the room, “I’m home,” his faint grin as soft as a blanket of snow.

His precious brother’s ring was cold against his scalp as fingers carded through periwinkle strands, fondness abundant in his warm, gruff tone. “Welcome back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes:
> 
> 3K words feels a lot shorter than I thought it would! I scrolled through it like "that's it? lame" but maybe I'm just a little too self-critical sometimes.
> 
> I'm trying something out with Kise's character. I'd read that the mangaka felt like the anime's Kise, in comparison to manga Kise, was a little too... nice(?). And so, due to that, I wanted Kise to be a bit of a conflicted character here, what with how he pushes and pulls with his desire to be close to Kuroko. I still wanted him to be the silly punching bag he usually is, but I definitely wanted him to have a layer of complexity and while I'm not sure I achieved that, I'll be using him as a sort of experiment. Mayuzumi was fun to write, although I've been expressing his personality in this way that I picked up from some MayuKuro fanfics. Takao was fun, so I look forward to having him around more.   
> Kuroko has been a little bit... interesting for me to take on. He's quiet, but not timid, with strong senses of justice and sarcasm. I like to explore his curiousity with newly introduced characters, but I also enjoy peering into one of the few relationships he's most secure in with Kagami and one of the insecure relationships he has, that currently being with Kise. I don't know: I like to use this as a character study of sorts! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the portrayals in this chapter (and those from the previous chapters)! Do you think they're OOC? In-character? Do you think they're interesting or boring? Are they flat or do they have depth? Let me know! :)
> 
> Chapter Four will probably take a bit more time to post, since I had Chapter Three finished before I even posted Chapter Two. I will get it written, though, because I've got some fun plot points I want to hit!
> 
> Lastly, I just wanted to say that I appreciate every comment I receive on this fic, and that it further compels me to write!


	4. Chapter Four: "Tangled Up and Tongue-Tied"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I use the word bastard way too much but it's because everyone's a bastard. As such...  
> Bastards; discussions; concern; hesitance; jealousy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #  **Chapter Four: “Tangled Up and Tongue-Tied—"**
> 
> _ “—What have I become? _
> 
> _ Always got you on my mind; _
> 
> _ Got me feeling dumb.” _
> 
> _ — _ Invisible, _ Anna Clendening _

* * *

“Hey, Himuro. C’mere.”

With the serenity he exuded constantly, Mayuzumi irritably decided that Himuro didn’t walk nor saunter over, but _flowed._ “What is it, President? I don’t have to pay for damages again, right?”

Mayuzumi scoffed, “Maybe you wouldn’t have to stress over that type of thing if you could tame your pet giant.”

Himuro’s huffed laugh had an undercurrent of distance that resonated strongly with Mayuzumi. “Maybe. So, what’d you want me to look at?”

“Him,” Mayuzumi proffered Kuroko Tetsuya’s application, attached to which was his student file. Even in his ID photo, it took a moment to even realize someone was there, which honestly pissed off and frightened Mayuzumi at once.

Himuro’s lone visible eye was alight with some semblance of curiosity, lips quirking the tiniest bit. “Has he caught your interest? ‘Birds of a feather,’ and all that?”

“Shut it,” Mayuzumi groused.

Light beamed in through the grand windows lining the walls of the library, which bounced along the polished furniture to scar the ceilings and all else within the room. The silverette winced as a stray beam greeted his eye, moving out of the way to glare at the rays and the sparse flecks of dust that danced within them. Himuro chuckled softly at his misfortune, as he was just as much of a bastard as the other members of Mayuzumi’s little club, even if he hid it behind a charming disposition.

“Do you think your last year should be as uneventful as the previous ones?” Himuro mused, his sudden inquiry hovering in the air.

“As if it could be uneventful with so many monsters running around.”

Grey eyes glared at one of the streaks of light along the wall, its sheen a metallic orange-yellow from having bounced off the flawless amber globe on the other side of the room. Illuminated by the light was an abstract painting of ruby and vermillion hues entwined with turquoise and powder blue. The gold marring the image brought to it an element of controlled chaos, and Mayuzumi wondered about the unease settled heavy in his stomach.

“Well, nothing’s more enjoyable than sitting back and watching the madness unfold,” Himuro mused, pulling their delivery inventory out from an open cubby in the check-out desk. “It’s better than being dragged into the midst; why not savor what little we can?”

Mayuzumi rolled his eyes. “Justification is pointless. Why don’t you just do what you want instead of making up reasons for your actions?”

“Then why don’t you run amok alongside those monsters, President? I’m sure it’d do you much better than letting—”

At his glower, Himuro smiled mirthlessly, stepping away from the desk. His mask slotted into place within a blink, a disposition of beguiling mystery.

“I’ll prepare some tea,” he excused himself, retreating into the room behind the check-out area. Mayuzumi sighed. Kuroko aside, ‘Birds of a feather,’ was an apt explanation for their lot, and that was _truly_ depressing.

* * *

Kiyoshi had been trailing behind him for the past ten minutes, and it was starting to get on his nerves. It took another minute and his ever-increasing irritation leaking out of him like an aura for Kiyoshi to speak. “So, I talked to the council.”

“Why the _fuck_ are you following me?” Hanamiya growled, resisting his urge to upturn his drink over the brunet’s head.

“I just wanted to tell you that they’re willing to help you out! They want to keep this matter quiet, but they’re also a little busy with their other activities.” Kiyoshi’s face showed that he was a little displeased by his own words, although he kept up the upbeat tone like he was working in customer service. Hanamiya wished he could call his manager.

“ _And?_ ”

Kiyoshi’s expression finally matched his tone, the brunet as eager to help as ever; “In the council’s stead, I’ve been appointed to help you with your search for the bully. I even received permission to request the help of the Disciplinary Committee.”

“Oh, well aren’t you _kind_? But I don’t trust that bullshit committee of yours; give my Kirisaki Daiichi their powers until we find the guy, and maybe I won’t spill about this to the public.”

Laughing, Kiyoshi met his eyes. “That’s a threat against the council, Hanamiya-kun. It’s not like I agree with their policies, so it’s not actually my problem. I’ll still request it on your behalf, though.”

“Thanks,” Hanamiya muttered, sighing disappointedly at Kiyoshi being unruffled by his threat. “Now fuck off.”

The brunet raised his hands in a show of peace while strolling away from the irate ravenette, waving just before he was around a corner and out of sight.

Hanamiya snorted. “What a bastard.”

* * *

“Niji-nii.”

“I know, I know.” Nijimura patted his head with his signature brand of exasperated fondness, failing to smooth down the brunet locks. “Don’t worry, you’ll find him. Are you able to make out the contact info on the back yet?”

Shigehiro whined into the taller’s shoulder. “No,” he bemoaned, “I’ve looked at it every five minutes to try and figure it out, but his handwriting is too… loopy.”

“That’s… That’s called cursive.”

“Because it’s a curse to read?” Nijimura’s eye twitched at the very honest inquiry.

“No.”

“Oh.”

Glancing around the courtyard, the ravenette gently pushed his brother away, pressing a riceball to Shigehiro’s mouth to quiet him as Imayoshi strolled over to their bench.

“Your troublemaker isn’t around?” the bespectacled male wondered, his tone as unsettling as the grin ever-present on his face.

Nijimura scoffed, an arm looping around Shigehiro’s shoulders. “Who knows where that bastard is,” he spat, “Probably at the arcade or starting fights.”

“Now, now, there’s no need to be so harsh. You’ll make me worry about my own bastard.”

That drew a chuckle from them both. Shigehiro blinked, some rice at the corner of his mouth as he ate quietly. “Shouldn’t you worry?”

Nijimura sighed softly whilst carding his fingers through auburn locks. “I have my hands full with you, dummy.”

“Well, aren’t _you_ soft, Nijimura-kun.” Imayoshi bared his palms in defense as Nijimura sent him a scathing glare. “Now, now; I’m just observing, after all. Although, I did want to mention something regarding your pet there.”

Shigehiro didn’t quite register that Imayoshi was meaning him, although Nijimura’s eyebrow twitched regardless. “That being?”

Imayoshi leaned close, his amusement trickling into the spaces between his every word as he murmured, “He isn’t the only one looking for that little savior of his.”

Nijimura narrowed his eyes, glancing over at Shigehiro. In a strange combination of polite and obnoxious, Shigehiro had his hands over his ears, his eyes closed, and was mumbling something just loudly enough that he couldn’t hear what’d been said. His naïve honesty almost brought an ache to Nijimura’s heart, as he knew his little brother was so steadfast in his efforts to be genuine and trusting, even when it would be at his own detriment.

“Is he worth searching for?”

Imayoshi leaned back, his smirk belying his innocent and carefree façade. “Isn’t that something we’ll all have to find out?” The school bell tolled, and Imayoshi turned on his heel loosely, throwing a hand in farewell without looking back. “See you, Nijimura-kun.”

* * *

“Mayuzumi-senpai,” Kuroko began, earning a startled yelp as the aforementioned silverette slipped off the ladder he was standing on, “Are you okay?”

“Not anymore. The fuck d’you want?”

“I came to return this.”

Proffered was the light novel he loaned to the bluenette the day prior.

“You gave up, huh? While I can’t fully blame you, I’m still disappointed.” Mayuzumi pulled the book away and set it on the trolley beside the ladder—which, despite its user toppling off, remained upright.

“Ah, no.” Kuroko urgently amended, “I wanted the sequel. I finished this one last night.”

Mayuzumi paused, urging his immobile heart to keep beating (no dying before midterms was a very important rule he held himself to). “You actually want to read it?” he breathed, eyes wider than they had been in a long time.

Kuroko nodded, his eyes gleaming earnestly. “While some of the choices in the narrative bothered me, I did find some parts interesting or amusing. I really wanted to figure out what it was that drew you to this type of work, so I’m indulging my curiosity.”

“It’s not just because I like them, right? Don’t you remember what I told you? The shit about not committing to things just because other people want or tell you to?”

“Well, you told me to read the novel,” Kuroko countered, “But, I’m doing this because I want to, senpai. I’m wanting to understand you a bit better, since I would like for us to become friends.”

The silverette could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips and hear blood rush to his face. _Was this guy serious? How could he say that with a straight face—that’s so embarrassing!_ He was distinctly reminded of some of the more ‘dere’ of the ‘kuudere’ -characters he’d quietly crush on in most of the media he consumed, but he quickly shoved the thought away.

Mayuzumi pressed his palm to Kuroko’s face, his other hand hiding his eyes and his tinted cheeks from view. “S-Shut.”

“Sorry.”

“Am I interrupting?”

The silverette shoved the shorter away at the inquiry. “No. Nope. Not interrupting.”

Takao faked a sigh of relief, “Oh, good! I was worried, since I brought a guest. That’d be a gross voyeuristic situation for both of us.”

“Please stop saying things like that,” Mayuzumi groaned. “Kise, what’d you want? I already told Kasamatsu that your magazines wouldn’t arrive until next week.”

“Ah, he told me, don’t worry. I was actually here to visit Kurokocchi.”

Mayuzumi had spent a lot of time observing people, and so it wasn’t at all hard to notice the slight tension gradually building across Kuroko’s form. It was as subtle as the wind formed by the beating of a butterfly’s wings, but the storm brewing in Kuroko’s eyes spoke clearly of the uncertainty that had begun to consume his underclassman.

“Let me get Kuroko’s book checked out real quick. C’mon.”

Kuroko obliged. Once they arrived at the desk, Mayuzumi stood behind Kuroko, going through the motions of checking out the book, albeit much slower than necessary.

“Is he gonna be a problem?” Mayuzumi leaned close, his breath near Kuroko’s ear. While the silverette glanced over his shoulder discreetly, Kuroko stiffened a little at the unexpected proximity. “Should I send him away?”

Softly, Kuroko’s index finger and thumb pinched at Mayuzumi’s shirt. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, peering up at Mayuzumi with furtive periwinkle pools. “No, it’s okay, Mayuzumi-senpai. I told him it’s okay to visit me as long as he’s not a bother.”

“A bother to whom?”

“To you, other committee members, and students using the library.”

Mayuzumi wrapped his palm around Kuroko’s wrist gently, slipping the hand off his shirt to cup the appendage like it was wounded. “Do you think he’ll be a bother to _you?_ ”

Kuroko’s smile said, _it didn’t matter._ Mayuzumi clenched his jaw. _The hell it didn’t._

He slipped a red bookmark into the light novel on the desk, pressing the book to Kuroko’s hand. “If you feel like you want out of the situation, just take the bookmark out. I’ll get him out of your hair.”

“Senpai, I—”

“Just shut up and let me help you, dumbass.”

Kuroko was taken aback, blinking a few times to remove Kagami’s image from over Mayuzumi. Mayuzumi’s entirety was that of a biting winter storm, and yet Kuroko could not ignore the warmth trickling through him where the silverette’s hands met his. Kuroko looked down, hasty to hide his thoughts from himself, but Mayuzumi tilted his face up with a delicate-but-firm touch.

“Got it?”

“Yes,” Kuroko affirmed. He bit his inner cheek and did his best not to waiver. He extracted himself from the vertical tangle they were in, his ears pinking.

“Good.”

Mayuzumi patted Kuroko’s head and called for Takao to grab him some tea while he plopped himself into the office chair behind the desk, tossing his legs up onto the desk and procuring a random book from one of the shelves within. Takao jumped out of his skin as he nearly crashed into Kuroko on his way to Mayuzumi, whining something stupid about the club president treating him like a slave.

“Kise-kun,” Kuroko murmured, tugging on his sleeve, “Let’s go over here.”

They sat at a table bathed in sunlight, Kuroko’s back to the window. He met Mayuzumi’s eyes across the room, over Kise’s shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Kuroko finally met Kise’s eyes.

Light brown eyes were polished gold in the sunlight, gleaming and churning endlessly like they were being melted. Kuroko pondered upon this in the background of his mind, as Kise could so easily mold himself into whatever shape he needed to with perfection. He made every version of himself as beautiful and seamless as refined jewelry, and he shone like the gems which would have adorned the accessories he formed.

“Y-You’re staring really hard, Kurokocchi. Do I have something on my face?” Kise carefully brushed his hand across his skin, and the bluenette noticed that his fingertips smeared a bit of eyeliner.

Kuroko reached across the small table to hold Kise’s wrist, drawing closer to his face to wipe his thumb along the line, catching the smears of dark color. A little below where Kuroko’s finger swiped, red slowly started to bloom across Kise’s skin, and Kise looked as though he was torn between closing his eyes and leaving them wide. The way he peered up at the periwinkle boy made him feel almost worshipped, yet he knew he could only resign himself to a fate of untrustworthiness after so long apart. Kise would no longer be able to shut his lids peacefully and listen to every sound the world would offer: not with Kuroko at his side.

( _Kise would argue that it wasn’t for lack of trust in the bluenette, but in reality, itself, for it was so often disappointing and could present to him a mirage, a miracle before his eyes, which fell victim to such miraculous illusions as Kurokocchi, Kurokocchi, Kurokocchi… —And so he needed to embed into his brain the image of the blessing he forgot to cherish, so he may never make that mistake again: so that he may never lose sight of his elusive shadow again._ )

The skin where Kuroko’s fingertips made contact tingled and burned and shivered even after Kuroko retreated to his side, and it took Kise a moment to come back to himself. “So,” he coughed, adjusting himself, “Are you liking the Committee?”

Kuroko nodded softly. While his front was overlain with shadow, his outline highlighted every strand of electric lilac that swayed from his movements, as well as the edges of his uniform. “The other members are nice. Nothing feels overwhelming, and they’re amusing to listen to and watch.”

At that, the two of them glanced over at the desk to catch Mayuzumi smacking Takao in the face with a magazine about some sort of bike-based sport.

“It’ll never be a dull day, then.”

Kuroko flattened his hands against his lap. “Do you have a club or activity, Kise-kun?”

Kise smiled tightly, twirling a blonde lock to distract himself. “I do. Although I’d gladly quit Student Council and join the Library Committee if you asked me to,” Kise offered, winking. He wilted as Kuroko quickly rejected the notion. “I should’ve expected that. Then again, I don’t think even I’d be able to quit for…. a lot of reasons. I would offer for you to join my department but, well—I don’t think you’d like it much.”

“That’s for the best, then. Kagami-kun told me—” Kuroko paused. Kagami had told him to avoid the Student Council and its members, which would include Kise. Kuroko felt his stomach churn as he considered why Kagami was so adamant about protecting him, not drawing any reasonable conclusions.

“Kurokocchi?”

Kuroko came back to himself. “Ah, sorry, Kise-kun.”

There was a passing silence, during which Kise and Kuroko both searched for some combination of words to offer. Neither found any. Eventually, Kise took to fiddling with his hair, and Kuroko tried to glean insight on how to proceed with their interaction by squinting at Kise and trying to figure out how he lost all the soft edges he once had as a child.

“Kurokocchi, have you…” Kise murmured, appearing panicked as he realized the words tumbled out of his mouth. Nonetheless, he forged on, “Have you moved on?”

“Yes,” Kuroko lied. “Have you?”

The blonde pressed his lips together. “I don’t ever want to. I—” he pressed into Kuroko’s space, covering the expanse of the table to bring his forehead to Kuroko’s. His eyes were squeezed shut, like he was in pain at the very concept, “—I don’t want to pretend like those weren’t some of the best days of my life. I missed all of you so much. I missed _you_ so much, and I… I still miss you, Kurokocchi.”

“Kise-kun…”

“You’re right here, and yet I feel like we’re no closer than when I left.”

Kise slowly raised his lids to pierce straight through the memories of soft, amber-honey orbs. Admiration was swapped with reverence, and the warmth that once hit with the strength of a gentle flame now struck with the freezing-hot bite of magma. “Why are you…”

But Kuroko’s words lodged themselves in his throat and threatened to strangle him if they dared to pass his traitorous lips.

“I’m incomplete without you, Kurokocchi. I’m missing this big piece of my heart, and I thought I left it behind for good—that I’d be fine without it. But, now that it’s—that _you’re_ here, I can’t help but selfishly want to hold you close and take you somewhere far away, where no one else can convince me that I can’t, or that I need to let you go.”

“What… What does that mean?” Kuroko murmured, quivering. He tore his gaze away to squash his own hopes. “We won’t ever be the same people we were back then. I can’t afford to be so naïve, and neither can you.”

“You don’t understand, Kurokocchi. I…”

Kuroko glared, ready to break.

Kise sighed and lowered his head to Kuroko’s shoulder. The blonde’s shaking reached his fingers, which slid down from Kuroko’s nape to the sides of his arms. Eventually they slipped to Kuroko’s hands and held them. “I just want you to love me again.”

But Kise knew, the moment the words escaped him, that they couldn’t be rescinded, and they wouldn’t translate fully. As Kuroko’s wide eyes gained that unmistakable shimmer, he couldn’t be bothered to correct the miscommunication. Kise gulped, his pupils shivering. He forced himself to maintain eye contact, which Kuroko eventually broke with the slightest of smiles, paper thin.

“Do you think I’m strong enough to love, Kise-kun?”

Gently, like the brush of a breeze, Kuroko’s hands slipped against his, their fingers interlaced for the briefest of moments before leaving only a tingle buzzing along his skin.

Kuroko started to pull away, dust frolicking about him in the bouncing rays of sun. Kise pulled Kuroko to himself before he could escape, pressing their foreheads together and taking in a shaky breath, as though he were inhaling Kuroko’s nostalgic scent for the last time. “Do you think I’m strong enough to let you go?” Kise ran his fingers through blue strands, savoring the silkiness against his palms. 

And he watched with rapt attention and his breath caught against a lump in his throat as Kuroko nearly wept in surprise. “Don’t,” he rasped.

Kise didn’t. Kuroko finally held him back, and steadily, ever-so-warily relaxed into his arms. Kise scooted around the table, seating himself upon Kuroko’s seat and pulling him into his lap, a memory coming back to life. It was so familiar to have the boy in this embrace, consoling his tender heart as he struggled to keep his tears at bay. There were those differences that assured him this was the present—the increased height, the thinner body, and the deepened pitch of the whimpered breaths he squeaked out—yet Kise felt so at home that his own tears welled and dripped down his cheeks and chin as he tucked Kuroko into his neck.

The blond could make out Mayuzumi Chihiro’s form across the room, peering at the display with a look of bewilderment scrambled together with realization, and yet he for once could not care about how an outsider might have perceived him.

It was liberating as much as it was terrifying, much like Kuroko’s presence was wont to be.

* * *

“Mayu-chan, are you jealous?”

Takao yelped, Mayuzumi’s fingers digging into his temples with intent to leave damage. “You wanna say that shit again?”

“N-No! _Agh,_ uncle, uncle!”

Mayuzumi scoffed, “Thought so.” His gaze travelled back to the pair in the sunlight, both of their frames outlined in orange-white yet shadowed intensely. “I’m just thinking.”

The ravenette leaned down to his level, probably trying to see what he saw and struggling to really comprehend it. “About?”

Mayuzumi couldn’t put words to it if he tried. Something about the sight was nostalgic, warm and sickening, a bittersweet taste intruding on his mouth. He wondered if he longed to be Kise, or if he detested the thought. Golden eyes, so very similar to what he’d rather not be reminded of, were at peace and war as the blonde coddled Kuroko. 

Oh, how Mayuzumi despised the Miracles, his fingers tensing as his mind teased him with thoughts of pulling Kuroko away and snarling: yet he knew that beneath the surface of the bond between them, there were things he’d never understand—not truly, not unless he’d accept his own.

“It’s nothing, really... Maybe I _am_ just jealous.”

Maybe he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't super weird. I'm not good at naturally introducing characters, as is evident, so next chapter will probably kick my ass.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a discord server to talk about fandom stuff (and just to hang out)! Feel free to join!  
> https://discord.gg/2EDyfr9


End file.
